In 2019, we launched the Action Plan for Competitive Success
From THE DEAN OF STUDENTS
Camel Athletics to new levels of excellence. Over the last six years, we’ve made incredible progress toward our goals. With significant investment from both the College and our generous donors, we have transformed the student-athlete experience, enhanced coaching excellence, expanded recruitment efforts, improved athletic facilities and built a stronger network of Camel Nation supporters. The results are clear—each year has led to higher levels of competitiveness, with last year being the College’s most successful. Conn was among the top 20% of NCAA Division III programs, earning a record-high 318.75 points and a No. 63 ranking in the final Learfield Directors’ Cup 2024-2025 DIII standings. In this six-year update, you’ll see just how far we’ve come and the significant progress we’ve made on each goal, but this is not the end of our work. There is no finish line when it comes to being competitive in the NESCAC, the most competitive DIII athletic conference in the country. We still have to unlock more potential, and it will take all of us continue to channel the collective “power of many” to keep this momentum going.
Victor J. Arcelus Dean of Students
Connecticut
College
WFrom THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
hat a truly exciting time to be a Camel! Since the launch of the Action Plan for Competitive Success, we’ve won our first team NCAA championship, four individual NCAA titles, a NESCAC team championship and 21 individual NESCAC titles. We’ve also celebrated 95 All-America selections, 134 All-NESCAC selections, 8 NESCAC Players of the Year and a two-time NCAA Swimmer of the Year honoree. Our goal is to provide a holistic student-athlete experience that fosters competitive excellence, academic achievement, leadership development and personal growth. As part of the Action Plan, we’ve added 145 student-athletes to our existing teams—and it’s inspiring to see their continued success in competition, in the classroom and as leaders within our College community, across the NESCAC and on the national stage. By elevating athletics, we are elevating the Connecticut College experience for the entire community. That’s the power of One Camel. One Team.
Maureen “Mo” White Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education Connecticut College
Some milestones:
MovingtheNeedle ON COMPETIVENESS
Winning percentage increased 23%
#63 - Best final Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking (2024-2025) – putting Conn in the top 20% of DIII programs
Since 2019:
§ 1 team NCAA championship
§ 1 team NCAA championship finalist
§ 4 individual NCAA titles
§ 8 NCAA team qualifiers
§ 63 NCAA individual qualifiers
§ 95 All-America selections
2024-2025 Trophies
§ 1 NESCAC team championship
§ 21 NESCAC individual championships
§ 8 NESCAC Player of the Year honorees
§ 134 All-NESCAC selections
§ 16 individual New England champions
§ 2 relay team New England champions
We moved the needle by implementing five key goals of the
ONE CAMEL. ONE TEAM.
Action Plan FOR COMPETITIVE SUCCESS
1. Elevate the Student-Athlete Experience
2. Invest in Coaching Excellence
3. Expand Athlete Recruitment
4. Strengthen the Camel Athletics Network
5. Enhance Athletic Facilities
GOAL #1 of the
ONE CAMEL. ONE TEAM.
Action Plan FOR COMPETITIVE SUCCESS
Elevate the Student-Athlete Experience
• Prepare athletes for optimal performance
• Equip teams to excel
• Develop scholar-athletes and leaders for the future
GOAL #1: Elevate THE STUDENT - ATHLETE EXPERIENCE
Comprehensive strength and conditioning
• Two full-time nationally certified strength and conditioning coaches
• Upgraded fitness center equipment
• Student-athlete recovery room with state-ofequipment
GOAL #1: Elevate THE STUDENT - ATHLETE EXPERIENCE
Enhanced sports medicine
• Partnership with Hartford HealthCare for sports health
• Expanded sports medicine to include:
§ sport nutritionist
§ concussion specialist
§ sports psychology
§ massage therapy
§ physical therapy
• Reorganized to allow trainers to be sport-specific specialists
GOAL #1: Elevate THE STUDENT - ATHLETE EXPERIENCE
Proper nutrition and physical and mental health
• Increased food budget for travel
• Established athletics partnership with Dine at Conn (Chartwells)
• Hartford HealthCare Sports Psychology pilot program supports all 28 teams
GOAL #1: Elevate THE STUDENT - ATHLETE EXPERIENCE
Gear and uniforms
• BSN Sports and Under Armour partnership
• 4-year cycle for home and away uniforms, warm-ups/ jackets and bags
• Annual allocation for practice gear
GOAL #1: Elevate THE STUDENT - ATHLETE EXPERIENCE
Safety equipment
• 4-year cycle for safety equipment for contact sports
• Annual inspection, cleaning and NOSCAC certification
Sailing fleet replacement cycle
• $1 million Ted Romanow Sailing Fleet Endowment supports sailing fleet replacement cycle
GOAL #1: Elevate THE STUDENT - ATHLETE EXPERIENCE
Leadership development
• New Leadership Development Program for first-year athletes
• Launched Athletes of Color Coalition
• Relaunched our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
• Launched new captains’ council
• Placed student-athletes on the NESCAC executive committee
• Placed a student-athlete on the NCAA DIII SAAC
GOAL #1: Elevate THE STUDENT - ATHLETE EXPERIENCE
Academic excellence
• Record number of academic awards from 2019
§ 1,858 NESCAC All-Academic selections
§ 9 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All selections
§ 4 United Soccer Coaches (USC) Scholar All
§ 2 Fulbright fellows
§ 1 Watson fellow
• 3.65 GPA average among all athletes in 2024
• Increased Athletic Department support for study abroad, internships and research
GOAL #2 of the
ONE CAMEL. ONE TEAM.
Action Plan FOR COMPETITIVE SUCCESS
Invest in Coaching Excellence
• Build a stronger NESCAC-level coaching and
• Empower coaches with dynamic professional development opportunities and coaching tools
GOAL #2: Invest IN COACHING EXCELLENCE
Established the Hale Endowed Fund for Coaching Excellence
Added 2 full-time head coaches
• Men’s Cross Country and Track & Field
• Women’s Swimming and Diving
Added 16 full-time assistant coaches
• 24 of 28 teams now have full-time assistant coaches
• 94% of new positions are endowed or partially funded
Added part-time second assistant coaches for select teams
• Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving, Men’s and Women’s
Track & Field, Men’s Basketball, and Men’s Lacrosse
GOAL #2: Invest IN COACHING EXCELLENCE
Expanded administrative and support staff
• Received NCAA grant to support new associate director of athletics
• Promoted assistant director to serve as a second associate director of athletics
• Added second full-time sports information staff member
• Added a second full-time strength and conditioning coach
GOAL #3 of the
ONE CAMEL. ONE TEAM.
Action Plan FOR COMPETITIVE SUCCESS
Expand Athlete Recruitment
• Leverage the athletic recruitment plan to support College enrollment goals
• Strengthen coaches’ recruitment and marketing tools
GOAL #3: Expand ATHLETIC RECRUITMENT
• Established Hale Endowed Fund for Recruiting Excellence
• Increased annual recruiting budget from $18k to $153k per year
• Added 145 athletes across 28 existing sports (638 total student athletes) to support competitive success and enrollment goals
• Expanded national and international recruiting to grow key markets
• Increased student-athlete diversity
• Implemented department-wide recruitment and marketing software
GOAL #4 of the
ONE CAMEL. ONE TEAM.
Action Plan FOR COMPETITIVE SUCCESS
Strengthen the Camel Athletics Network
• Engage alumni and parents through the Camel Athletics Network
• Launch the Camel Athletics Fund
• Expand communications about Camel Athletics
GOAL #4: Strengthen THE CAMEL ATHLETIC NETWORK
Engaging alumni and parents
• Hosted numerous campus and regional events
• Career and professional development panels and networking events hosted by 9 teams
• Expanded media and communication strategies
GOAL #4: Strengthen THE CAMEL ATHLETIC NETWORK
ü
$20,060,000 for athletic endowments
ü $11,875,000 for facilities and equipment
ü Over $4 million for Camel Athletics Fund (annual operating budget)
GOAL #5 of the
ONE CAMEL. ONE TEAM.
Action Plan FOR COMPETITIVE SUCCESS
Enhance Athletic Facilities
• Develop and advance an athletic facility master plan
• Implement a facility branding strategy
GOAL #5:
Enhance
ATHLETIC
FACILITIES
Develop and advance an athletic facility master plan
• Completed an athletics master plan with CHA architects and engineers
• Completed a number of projects
§ Revitalized Waterfront (Archibald Way and Kohn Waterfront)
§ New men’s and women’s hockey locker rooms
§ Temporary new varsity strength and conditioning center
§ New basketball/volleyball branded court floor and 500-seat bleacher
§ New Silfen Field turf
§ New Silfen Track and throwing event spaces
• New Grandstand and Press Box overlooking Silfen Track and Field for Spring 2026
• Fundraising underway for Student Athlete High Performance Center
1. Grandstand and press box
2. Student Athlete High Performance Center
Close-up of multipurpose room balcony and the varsity athlete strength and conditioning center with an outdoor artificial turf training area
Multipurpose room with balcony overlooking Silfen Field, Silfen Track, and the Thames River
New squash center with 8 courts (mix of of renovated and additional new courts)
Varsity strength and conditioning center
Conn’s COMMITMENT TO ATHLETICS
Conn’s key investments in athletics
ü Approximately $12 million in facility and equipment improvements
ü 22% increase in operating budget
ü Faculty head coach equity compensation/benefits adjustment
ü Assistant coach compensation/benefits increase
ü Through grants, promotions and reorganization, added six positions to athletics (head coaches, assistant coaches and administrative positions)
First NESCAC Championship for a men's team.
